Automatic release for wringers



Oct. 23, 1928.

W. W. BROWN AUTOMATIC RELEASE FOR WRINGERS s Sheets-Shet 1 Filed April 26, 1925 INVENTOR u/ $114 ATTORNEY Oct. 23,1928. 1,688,408

W. W. BROWN AUTOMATIC RELEASE FOR WRINGERS Filed April 26, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 w m H L l Ill" INVENTOR ORNEY Oct. 23, 1928.

w. w. BROWN AUTOMATIC RELEASE FOR WRINGERS Filed April 26, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR BY MQUJL,

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 23, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WARNER BROWN, 0F OAK LANE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO H. W. BUTTERWORTH &; SONS COMPANY.

AUTOMATIC RELEASE FOR WRINGERS.

Application filed April 26',

.This invention relates to Wringers and more particularly in some of its details to a wringer for wringing clothes and the like which is especially adapted for employment in connection with washing machines.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved Wringer constructlon of the class mentioned, having a few parts and being unlikely to get out of order and being furthermore susceptible of ready assembly or disassembly and repair and comparatively inexpensive in production costs.

A further object is the provision of an improved arrangement for. wringers or the like, whereby the rolls may be relieved of pressure in case the load thereon becomes abnormal, thus preventing strains or other damage to the operative parts.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved mechanism for wringers or the like for automatically cutting off the driving power from the rolls in case of abnormal load thereon.

Other objects and advantages of theinvention Will be pointed out in connection with the following description of an illustrative but preferred embodiment of the invention and will be in part obvious therefrom.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference is had to the following detailed description and to the drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention, and in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a Wringer constructed in accordance with the invention, certain parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is an end view looking toward the left of Fig. 1, parts being broken away and-in section.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33. of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow, show-- ing the adjusting and releasing mechanism forthe rolls;

Figs. 1 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 8 showing the adjusting and releasing mechanisms in different positions;

1923. Serial No. 634 708.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one end of the I Fig. 8 is a central, vertical, longitudinal section of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of the illustrative embodiments of the invention there shown, and first to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the wringer includes a frame indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, having upright end sections 11 and 12, and a lower substantially horizontal base section 13 connecting the end sections. A pair ofparallel co-opcrating rolls 14 are rotatably carried b the end sections by means of projecting r0 1 shafts 15, the lower roll being shown as coupled to a drive shaft 16, mounted in a bracket 17 bolted to the end frame section of the wringer. In this connection, it might be mentioned that while the wringer herein disclosed is especially adapted for use in connection with washing machines, and adapted to be power driven, it is not at all limited to this use however, but may be employed in other relationships, and driving power may be applied thereto by manual means.

Cover plate sections (not shown) may be provided for the end sections of the frame, as well as for the base section, so as to provide .a smooth external surface and furnish house ings for the. operative parts of the wringer..

In this connection, it is noted that the frame construction is shown somewhat diagrammatically in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, 2. preferred frame construction being shown in Figs. 7 and. 8, which will be more fully described below.

-The lower roll is rotatably mounted preferably in fixed position in the end frame sections, bearings 18 being provided for this purpose, and preferably formed integrally with the end frame sections and projecting inwardly toward each other, as shown in Fig. 1. The upper roll is mounted for rotation and movement of translation in juxtaposition to the lower roll in a swinging frame 19. pivoted to the end frame sections preferably concentric with the axis of rotation of the lower roll, and being confined between the inward- 1y projecting bearing lugs 18, as shown in Fig. 1. One of these swinging roll supporting frames is preferably provided at each end of the wringer frame; both frames being similar in construction a detailed description of one will answer for both.

As shown, each swinging frame is housed within the corresponding end section of the main wringer frame, extending above its pivotal point and terminating at its free end adjacent the upper end of the end frame section. At its free end, it is preferably formed with upwardly extending parallel arms 20 arranged in quadrangular form, providing a guide for the roll shaft bearing 21, and for parts of the releasing mechanism. The roll shaft 15 is disposed between opposed pairs of these arms which guide it in up and down movements. Also loosely confined between the supporting arms of the swinging frame 19 is a movable abutment nut or block 22, cruciform in plan as shown in Fig. 6, and having lateral and longltudmal arms co-operating in guiding relationship with the arms 20, and carrying an adjusting screw 23 threaded thereto, and extending through a slot in the end section cap and provided at its upper end with a knurled handpiece. Holding or looking dogs 24 are pivoted to laterally opposed lugs 25 of the pivoted frame, and provided with locking projections for engagement with lugs 26 of the abutment block, preferably disposed at opposite extremities of the longer arm of said block, as clearly seen in Fig. 3. Stops or lugs 28, which are preferably detachably securedin the cap of the end frame section, are positioned to lie between the opposed locking dogs 24: to normally position them to co-operate with the lugs 26 of the abutment block;

an adjustable tension spring 27 being attached to the locking dogs to bias them to holding position. The adjusting screw 23 is preferably provided with a stop nut 29 adapted to position the screw in proper adjustment. It will be observed that this adjustment of the stop nut may advantageously occur when the roll holding mechanism is in released position, as shown for example in Fig. 5.

The operation of the releasing mechanism to automatically release tension on the rolls is best indicated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. Assuming the rolls to be operating in the directions indicated by the arrows and that an abnormally heavy load is fed between them, there will be a tendency to carry the swinging frames in a clock-wise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3. Movement in this direction will bring the left locking dog 24 into engagement with the stop 28, carrying it from looking engagement with the lug 26 of the abutment block. The position in which the locking dog is passing from engagement with the lug 26 is indicated in .ig. 4. This action results in releasing the abutment block to upward movement, so the upper roll may separate from the lower one and move to the position as indicated in Fig. 5. As will be understood a similar re leasing action will occur when the wringer rolls are operating in the op. osite direction, the locking dog 2 1 at the right then being first released. hen the rolls arereleased as described, the clot of clothes may be removed from the rolls and the upper roll then readjusted to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 3; The tension spring 27 biasing the locking dogs to locking position may be adjusted as desired so the releasing operation will take place at a predetermined load upon the wringer.

The mlodification of Figs. 7 and 8 discloses a preferred form of frame construction. As shown, the general form of the frame is the same as that of the previously described modification, having upright end sections each corresponding to the end sections 11. and 12 of the previously described modification, one being indicated 11', and a connecting base section 13. In this case, however, the frame is constructed in separable front and back sections 30 and 30, mating and separably attached together as by securing screws 31, the base of each front or back section preferably being integral with the end frames. The front and back sections of the end frame cooperate to form housings for the wringer roll bearings and releasing mechanism for the rolls, while the front and back sections cooperate at the lower or base part thereof to form a drain conduit or gutter 32, extending longitudinally beneath the rolls and being provided adjacent one end with a drain outfixed section 34 and a slidable section 35 is preferably provided between the driving shaft 16' and the lower roll shaft 15 and having interengaging clutch teeth. Pivoted to the end frame section is a lever 35 having an arm with a bifurcation 36 having lugs engaging in a peripheral slot of the slidable clutch member, and an arm 37 operatively connected to the upper wringer roll. This operative connection is illustrated in the drawing by the strap 38, encompassing the upper bearing 21, and connected to the arm 37 by a bolt 39. A spring 40 is connected to the lever 35 and is normally tensioneol to nism. For this purpose, a clutch having a urge the sliding clutch member to disen the rolls, as well as operating the clutch to non-power-transmitting position; The clutch is normally held in engaged position through the roll bearing by the adjusting screw 23.

One or more adjusting washers 29 are Y preferably placed onthe adjusting screw 23 above the stop nut 29 so as to support the latter in properly adjusted position. As the rolls wear down after continued use, one of these washers may be removed so as to change the position of the stop nut corresponding withthe worn rolls In this connection at tention is called to the fact that it is desirable to employ the type of ;rolls in which at least one of them is constructed'of yielding material so that the other roll may press into the surface thereof slightly to provide a contact surface of some circumferential extent. In this type of roll, ori-in fact any other standard type, the proper tension will be obtained when the adjusting screw is adjusted to a definite point. This point inthe construction shown is secured by means of the limiting nuts 29' together with the adjusting washers 29. The

proper tension on the rolls is readily secured merely by turning the adjusting screws 23' into position so that the nuts 29 contact with the upper washer 29 overlying the abutment blocks 22.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the inventi0n could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is. intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the follow- .ing claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: w

1. In a wrlnger, inQcombination, a rotatable roll mounted in a wringer frame, a roll co-operating with said first roll and being mounted for rotary movement and for translatory movement laterally of the wringer frame upon occurrence of an abnormal load, means for holding said rolls in co-operative relationship, and means actuated by the lateral translatory movement of said movable roll, to release said roll holding means;

2. In a wringer, in combination, a roll mounted in the wringer frame, a roll cooperating with said first roll and being mounted for translatory movement relative to said frame, rigid-means for holding said rolls in cooperative -relationship, means actuated by the translatory movement of said movable roll to release said roll holding means, and means to adjust said holding means to release at different. loads.

3. In a wringer, in combination, a roll mounted in the wringer frame, a roll cooperating with said first roll and being mounted I for lateral movement relative to said frame, means for holding said rolls in co-operative relation, and a pair of pivoted dogs actuated by the relative movement of said movable roll to release said roll-holding means, said releasing dogs being operable to release in either-direction of wringer operation, and adj ustable means to bias said dogs toward holding position.

4. In a wringer,v in combination, a roll mounted for rotation in the wringer frame a frame swingably supported by said wringer frame, in which a second roll is rotatably mounted for translatory movement with the swinging frame, means to adjust said second roll and hold it in co-operative position with the other roll, means to yieldingly resist swinging movement of said swingable frame, and an automatic roll release operable upon swinging movement of said swinging frame I to release said second roll.

5. In a wringer, in combination, a roll mounted for rotation in'the wringer frame, a second rotatable roll, a movable frame mounted in said wringer frame for movement laterally of the normal operative plane of the wringer rolls and supporting said second roll for rotation, means for holding said rolls in cooperative position, means for resisting movement of said movable frame, and means to release said holding means upon movement of said movable frame.

6. In a wringer, in combination, a roll mounted for rotation in the wringer, frame, a frame swingably supported by said wringer ment of rotation and for movement with said swinging frame, means for adjusting said second roll and for holding it in cooperative position with the other roll, means for resisting movement of said swingable frame, and means for releasing said holding means upon swinging movement of said swinging frame.

7. In a wringer, in combination, a roll mounted for rotation in the wringer frame, a second rotatable roll, a movable frame frame, a second roll mounted for movemounted in said wringer. frame for movement rolls in cooperative position, and releasing means for said holding means adapted to be actuated by movement of said movable frame.

8. In a wringer, in combination, a roll mounted for rotation-in the wringer frame, a second rotatable roll, a movable frame mounted in said wringer frame for movement laterally of the normal operative plane of the wringer rolls and supporting said second roll for rotation, means for holding said rolls in cooperative position, releasing means for said holding -means adapted to be actuated by movement of said movable frame, means for transmitting power to said rolls, and means adapted to be automatically operated upon the release of said holding means to discon nect said power transmitting means.

9. In a wringer, in combination, a main frame for said wringer, a. movable frame carried by said main frame and being movable under the influence of an abnormal wringer load, a roll mounted for slidable movement on said movable frame, an abutment block loosely mounted for adjustment on said movable frame and cooperating to tension the rolls, holding dogs pivotally mounted on said movable frame and cooperating with said abutment block for holding it in roll tensioning position, and means to release one of said holding dogs when said movable frame is moved under influence of an abnormal load.

10. In a wringer, 1n combination, a main frame for said wrmger, a swmgable frame carried by sa1d main frame and bemg swingable under the influence of an abnormal wringer load, a roll mounted for slidable movement on said swingable frame, an abutment block loosely mounted for adjustment on said swingable frame and cooperating to tension the rolls, holding dogs pivotally mounted on one of said frames and cooperatin with said abutment block for holding it in r0 1 tensioning position, means to release one of said dogs when said swingable frame is swung under influence of an abnormal load, and means to adjust said holding dogs to release at different wringer loads.

11. In a wringer, in combination, a pair of cooperative wringer rolls, means for mounting one of said wringer rolls for movement laterally of the normal operative plane of said rolls under the influence of an abnormal wringer load, mechanism for holding said rolls in cooperative position and releasing mechanism controlled by said lateral roll movement to release said roll holding mechanism.

12. In a wringer, in combination, a pair of cooperative wringer rolls, means for mounting one of said wringer rolls for movement laterally of the normal operative plane of said rolls under the influence of an abnormal wringer load, yielding mechanism for resisting said lateral roll movement, unyielding mechanism for holding said rolls in cooperative wringin position, and releasing mechanism oontro led by said lateral roll movement to release said roll holding mechanism.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM WARNER BROWN. 

